Backup to NTFS USB Volume (Bad Idea?)
 

Recently migrated a Windows 2008 File Server to FreeNAS 0.7.2. For the last several years we have backed up this 2008 file server onto a pair of USB 3TB external drives.

The data is now all migrated over to the FreeNAS (freenas is using UFS) and we need to schedule nightly backups. All the data (up until the migration) is backed up already and I'd rather not spend several days backing it all up again.

Can I just use rsync to backup the incremental changes to our existing NTFS USB drives or do I have to wipe the backups and create new backups using a different file-system?

It's been a few years since I checked up on ntfs-3g and back then it was only for experimental use and prone to corruption. Is this still the case or has NTFS support in Unix/Linux matured to the point where it could be used in a production environment?

Just hoping to get some expert recommendations. Thanks!

Hi there,

honestly, I haven't understood your explanation down to every detail. But to get to the point, ntfs-3g is considered fairly reliably nowadays. However, it's not based on an open specification, but rather on try-and-error, on observation and reverse engineering. So you can't tell wether it's really behaving okay under any condition.
Besides, what's the point of using an alien file system in a Linux-based system? That's not something I'd recommend.
Just my 2 cents.

[X] Doc CPU

Because this is backup data from a Windows 2008 server and I'd rather not spend another week backing up 6000 GB worth of data all over again.

if it is a windows server then i WOULD use Microsoft tools to back up a Microsoft OS

the linux ntfs-3g would work
but this IS Microsoft here so use their tools to back up their os

No its NOT a Windows server it's a UNIX server.

Please re-read my original post because I don't know how I can explain it any clearer. This is backup data from a server that USED to be 2008 server and is now a UNIX server. It doesn't make sense to us to delete 6000 GB of backup data just so we can re back it all up in a UNIX format.

Is there any intrinsic risk in leaving the existing backup drives as NTFS (and backing up the delta --in other words, the data added to the new server since the migration was completed) with all the existing backup data.

Data is just data. You can always mount it and copy it - as you have already done apparently. You might lose some attributes along the way, but in that situation, who cares.

The big flaw in your scenario IMHO is the premise that you only need one backup.

No disrespect or anything and thanks everyone for responding but I'm not here to debate. I just wanted to know if FreeNAS can or cannot backup to NTFS USB volumes and if there are any intrisic weaknesses in persuing such a strategy.

I'm closing this thread and I'll just post a question on the FreeNAS board

The answer to my question is no, there are no intrinsic weaknesses in using NTFS in *NIX for the purpose required here. Rsync worked out just fine and was able to copy only those changes made since the server migration. Now that we have a full backup of the time period required we can procure a new backup device and use ext3 on that one.